Silly Jack
by MissRainicorn
Summary: It's four in the morning. She wakes up, and there's light on her phone. He needs her, again. Sigh. Silly Jack. (Oneshot)


_I'm thirsty._

With a groan, she abandons the warm bed. Her head feels drowsy from the heavy sleep she'd been into, before the thirst woke her up. Having just woken up, her blond hair was a downright mess. She dragged her feet over the floor and walked with her eyes half closed. No need to turn on the lights. Turning on the lights when you've just woken up is annoying.

With a couple steps, she'd already reached the kitchen. Her apartment was small. One bedroom, one bathroom, one living room, a kitchen, and that's about it. It was more than enough for her, anyway; the only one living with her was little Pascal, and he didn't exactly take up a lot of space. She poured herself a huge glass of water and quickly drank it whole. With a yawn, she walked back to her bedroom. She was ready to plop straight back into bed, when she noticed the light on her mobile phone. Frowning, she picked it up and, throwing herself over the mattress, unlocked it.

Five lost calls. She sighed deeply, rolling her eyes. With resignation, she called him back. She'd barely heard the tone when he picked up. No doubt he'd been waiting.

"Jack" she rubbed her eyes with her free hand, holding back the groaning. "It's freaking four in the morning."

"I'm sorry" a voice whispered on the other side of the line. It sounded shaky, afraid, even. "I am, Punz."

She let out a long, deep sigh. Her hand ran through her long golden locks. "Silly Jack. Don't be. I was already awake."

Silence fell between them for a few minutes, while her feelings evolved from mild annoyance to concern. She could hear his breathing on the other side of the line. She could almost see him, kneeling over the bed, holding the phone with both hands and his eyes closed, as if his life depended on it. "Another nightmare?" she whispered, even though she didn't really need to ask.

"Yeah" came the frail answer. Rapunzel sighed again.

"I'm sorry."

"I'm okay."

What a liar.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah..."

Liar.

"You want to come over?"

"... Yeah."

Another sigh escaped her lips as she hung up. Poor, sweet Jack. She stood in bed, staring at the ceiling, and started counting the seconds. She knew exactly how much it would take him to get there. It was exactly nine hundred seconds, plus the time he'd take getting dressed, which she estimated in about ten seconds.

When she got to eight hundred and ninety, she got up from the bed and walked towards the entrance door without turning the lights on. Jack had a key to her apartment, but she had to be there when he arrived.

She was always there.

She was at nine hundred and ten when she heard the key on the lock and the door opened. Jack closed it behind him, and he looked at her. He was wearing pajama shorts and a hoodie, and he was barefoot.

It always hurt herself inside to see him so devastated. He looked like a helpless child. It hurt more than physical pain. Rapunzel stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. He embraced her back, tightly, and buried his face in the curve that joined her neck with her shoulders, hiding underneath her long hair. She softly caressed his short white hair and felt him tremble. "Punz" his shaky, broken voice uttered.

"Shh" she hushed, stroking his head. His shoulders moved from time to time, his whole body convulsing, and she felt cold tears touching her skin. "Jack" she held him tighter, letting him let everything out. "I'm here."

She always waited until he was ready to pull away. "Punz" he whispered, this time in a soft, more relaxed tone, and he gazed into her eyes. "You look so tired... I'm sorry" he gave her a soft kiss on the lips. Rapunzel kissed back. His lips felt cold. His whole body usually felt colder than it was normal for a human being. She didn't mind it.

"You look much more tired than I" she replied, touching his cheek with her fingers. He always looked so much more tired. He had these dark circles under his eyes, such a slight shade of dark over his pale skin that most people didn't notice it. She noticed. She noticed him rubbing his eyes from time to time with a weary expression, when he thought she wasn't looking. "Silly Jack" she muttered, and kissed him. She always was looking. "Mint tea?" she asked, even though she already knew the answer.

"You'd make one for me?"

"Of course" she'd always make anything for him.

Mint tea always helped him calm down and lift his spirits after having a nightmare. She always bought a box of mint tea when she shopped for groceries, and she always placed it over the counter, next to the microwave. She fetched his favorite mug, the blue one with snowflake patterns, filled it with water and put in on the microwave. Always one minute and a half.

Performing the task without turning on the lights, only aided by the street lighting coming through the windows, was something she'd long since learned to do. Since he started having nightmares. Since the accident.

While the water was heating, she picked one of the small bags from the box and a spoon from the drawer. Jack hugged her from behind and nuzzled his face on his favorite spot, the curve that joined her shoulders and neck. "Thank you, Punz" he whispered against her skin, placing a gentle kiss on it. She smiled as she took the mug out and placed the small bag inside the hot water. She dipped it further in with the spoon and put a small plate over it while the tea settled in. She turned her face and kissed his head. "Silly Jack" she muttered. She felt his lips curve in a smile against the sensitive skin of her neck.

She knew he liked to feel her warmth. He always touched her in some way, when they were together. He'd play with her hair, hold her hand, put an arm around her shoulders or her waist, cuddle against her, mould his body position to fit hers. He'd always been that way, but even more so after the accident. She thought that his way of searching for her constant touch was his way of proving that he was still alive. He never told her, but she knew how much he feared that, one day, his fingers would just go through her, as if he didn't exist.

Ever since the accident, he treasured her warmth.

"Here" she said, offering him the warm mug. He took it with both of his hands, as if he was scared to drop it; Rapunzel knew he did it because he enjoyed the warmth. He smiled at her, thankfully. She was willing to do anything to preserve that smile on his face.

They sat together in the kitchen table in silence, while Jack took sips of his drink. The mild darkness surrounding them felt comfortable. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked, even though she already knew the answer. Telling her about it would always help him assume that it hadn't been real.

"It was... the usual" he sighed, staring at his tea and playing with the spoon. "My sister was there. She was crying to me for help, and I tried to save her. But she fell down... and I fell down with her" he shivered. "It was so cold..."

Rapunzel took his hand between hers, and he looked up at her with thankful eyes, but his expression was still sad. Rapunzel didn't think that it was fair. Living it once was enough. Why did he have to see it over and over in his dreams? Why did the memory have to come back and torture him?

Jack had been having those terrible nightmares since the day his sister died. She remembered every detail. She didn't think she'd ever forget. Jack was just on vacation with her. A winter resort, with a ski station and a frozen lake. Many people went ice-skating there, and his sister thought it'd be fun. It should have been safe, but she stepped too far towards the centre of the lake, and the ice was weak. Jack heard her calling for help, but it was too late. The ice cracked and the little girl fell inside.

But Jack, he refused to let her go. He threw himself in the hole where his sister had fallen.

Stupid, reckless Jack. He couldn't reach his sister, of course. The water was piercing cold and stung as hard as a thousand knives, and his body was too slow and heavy. He was rescued and his heart stopped for fifteen seconds before starting to beat again. He suffered from hypotermia, but he was safe.

His sister was already dead when she was gotten out of the lake.

Jack couldn't get near cold water ever since.

She remembered the call. Jack was an orphan since age eight, and her name was the only one in his contact list. They had two other close friends, but they barely ever used their phones. Rapunzel was the only one the rescue team could call.

_Hello, miss? I'm sorry to tell you, but... he's had an accident..._

Those words struck like a wrecking ball. She remembered the rush to the hospital to see him, how she'd driven like crazy through the highways, risking her own life in an accident. But how could she care about herself at that moment? She saw him in the hospital bed, covered in at least three blankets and still trembling. But what shocked her most were his eyes. His blue eyes, usually filled with life, with that spark she loved, were now deprived of emotion. His eyes were dead.

She was the only one left for him afterwards.

"Jack" her voice was warm. He looked back at her with a faint smile.

"I'm sorry you have to put up with me."

She shook her head. "Silly Jack."

She'd been putting up with him for five years now. It'd been almost a year since the ice cracked.

She devoted herself to him. She knew he needed her. He always tried to push her away at first, but when she refused to go and stayed, he would cling to her as if she'd save his life.

"You saved my life" he whispered. Rapunzel's lips parted a little in surprise. "If it weren't for you, Punz, I... I'd be dead by now."

"Please" she put a finger over his lips. "Don't say such a thing" she kissed his forehead. "If you died, my world would make no sense."

Jack left the mug over the table and wrapped his arms around her. "I adore you."

She didn't respond, but held him tightly against her.

A few seconds passed, and when he let go, she let him finish his tea. "Was it good?" she asked, and he nodded, a small smile on his lips. He would always smile sideways. His mouth would curve more towards one side, resulting in a crooked smile. She thought it very attractive and particular.

She put the mug in the sink and, grabbing him by the hand, she led the way to the bedroom. Two pairs of bare feet walked through the small corridor and stepped inside. She, in a caring way, helped him take out his hoodie. She knew it was the first thing he saw around in the bedroom and just threw it on, since he was shirtless underneath. She knew he always slept shirtless. It was a habit. She herself always slept with a huge t-shirt she'd bought three sizes more than needed. If she felt cold, she just put on some pajama pants.

She folded the hoodie in half and put it over the bed. She then looked at Jack, and smiled when she saw he had his arms stretched towards her. She accepted the invitation and rushed into his hug. Jack threw them both on the bed and they simply laid over it, hugging each other in silence. She could hear his heartbeat. The position felt comfortable and warm, and he was relaxed now. She felt him nuzzle his nose into her hair and sniff lightly. She smiled. He always did that, too.

"You're so warm" he sighed in satisfaction. He wasn't as warm as she was. He just had a lower body temperature than what was usual. But it never bothered her. She liked that particular kind of cold.

"You should come live with me" she muttered.

"Yeah" he said, and paused for a moment. "But you know I can't for now."

She nodded. She knew he didn't want to leave the house he'd shared with his sister just yet, in spite of the nightmares. All of his memories were there, and she would respect whatever time he needed.

"I love you, Punz" he said into her ear, in his low voice.

Rapunzel looked up to him to receive the kiss. It was passionate. She opened her mouth to his, and he pulled her body closer. His mouth traveled down to kiss and lightly suck at her neck. She liked it when he did that, and she breathed out sharply. She could feel his smirk against her skin. That part always helped him into forgetting the nightmare, too. And she was especially warm whenever they did that.

"Silly Jack" she breathed, giving in to him.


End file.
